Defining Moments
by Blaney
Summary: Life is full of defining moments… For Chuck, Walker and Casey, Bryce was the herald to their shared defining moment… both of them. This fic is a bit dark and one of the characters does die but please read and review they are like angel's laughter to me...
1. Caseys POV part 1

Title – Defining Moments

Author – Blaney

Disclaimer – Chuck is not owned by me… I only take them out to play with them for a while, I promise to return them in 'mostly' the same manner I got them

Summery – This is my first attempt at a Chuck story, and I will warn you its a little dark. And one of the main characters is dies but please give the story a chance I tried to keep it dark but not too dark. Not every thing can be summed up in an hour like on TV and the only constant in life is change so our main character goes though some changes. I'm not very good at summaries. I do want to know what you'll think, good, bad, and indifferent. At the time of this posting I have the first of three main parts done. I may do some touch ups on these first few chapters but this is the main jest of it. The first section is from Casey's POV the next one will be Chuck's POV the last chapter will be a joint Ellie and Devon POV.

Timeline, Spoilers – I don't really touch on any specific episode but it would be after Chuck vs. the Marlin. And is an AU or Alternate Universe story, it starts out with the show then follows its own path… I do reference several other stories in this it is on purpose as a way to honor the stories, and story writers.

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(Casey's POV)

Life is full of defining moments… at least a well lived life. Your wife leaves you, or you get cancer… there's your life before it and your life after it. Sept, 11 was a defining moment for the whole nation. For Chuck, Walker and myself, Bryce was the herald to our shared defining moment… both of them; He sent the Intersect to Chuck that started it. Then by coming back from the dead he created another defining moment… although at the time we didn't know it.

One week after 'it'

You see a reporter was at the Buy More during 'black Friday' to do a piece on capitalistic greed at it's best or some crap like that. When he spotted Bryce and the CIA agents who well to say they stood out would be an understatement. The reporter recognized Bryce as having been killed in a bank robbery and to have him alive and well, and on the other side of the country he believed that Bryce was in witness protection and must have witnessed something big. He hid in the back when the fire alarm was pulled and witnessed fulcrum try to kill chuck and me. When he saw the fake firemen he ducked out the back and made his escape. We didn't know about him, but fulcrum found out, their last agent 'lizzy' was able to communicate that to them. When she disappeared, the leadership of the organization; tired of losing agents decided to have someone else do the leg work. They infiltrated two agents in to the paper and carefully fed the reporter information, which caused the reporter to want more.

It all happened about a month after the 'pita girl' incident as Chuck called it. The reporter was smart he laid a trap of sorts. He leaked some 'info' to homeland security about possible terrorist activity, and waited for our team to get called in to check it out. Then he had Chuck's name, Walker's and mines cover names and that fact that she was CIA and I was NSA… I'll admit we were getting sloppy, mine and Walker's instincts didn't feel right but we ignored them… that can get you killed. The reporter wrote a story about how the CIA and the NSA were conducting joint missions' right here in L.A. and they were using civilians to help the cover. He didn't name names but there was enough information to piece together who we were.

The story got published the next day… but the fulcrum agents already had all the information. They figured out that Chuck was the Intersect and Sarah could lead them to Bryce. What the powers that be were not counting on was the agent they sent to capture Walker and Bartowski, hated Agent Walker he had once been in love with her and she didn't reciprocate the feeling. He planned on killing them both and reporting back that they died tried to escape.

Walker and Chuck were out on a date, a real date, not for a mission so I was at home spending some time catching up on the stuff I have to put off when we are on a mission; my bonsai trees, email (the usual kind not the top secret classified ones) and of course cleaning my weapons. I knew that Ellie and Devin were home alone so I didn't need to turn on the bugs. (I'm not that perverted) it almost cost them their lives. I have Chuck's window wired so that if it opens I know. When it went off I almost ignored it figuring it was the hairy troll Morgan, I was wrong, it was two fulcrum agents they were sent to take out Ellie and Devin and make it look like a home invasion gone terribly wrong, they knew Devin's parents were a state senator and a federal judge. Also they knew what we knew that Ellie would move heaven and earth to find her brother if he went missing and with her connections she could cause trouble. They didn't want to take any chances. Of course I didn't know it at first I thought they were going to rob the place I was going to go scare them and try hard not to kill them. But fulcrum knew I was living here and they had sent someone after me. So not long after Chuck's window alarm went off my own place was broken in to. They bypassed the first and second sensor but I'd put Mister Chuck 'computer brain' Bartowski to work and we designed a better system which was a double good thing because the agents that broke in to Ellie's house bypassed the normal sensor. I was ready for the first one but not the back up they had. The second agent got a shot off before I killed him. Just below my heart snapping two of my ribs, nearly missing my aorta, just a half inch higher and I would have bleed out before I could even get to the door. I grabbed my cell and called in the emergency and taking my weapon staggered over to the other apartment, Chuck would have never forgiven me if I let his sister die, and I really like Ellie and Devin they are good people who try to make the world a better place. I kicked in the door, surprising the agents so I was able to shoot the first one when the second one started to swing his weapon around to me, Devin came out of nowhere and knocked the guy out cold. Then Ellie rushed over to me seeing the blood on my shirt she and Devin went into doctor mode, I don't know what happened next about the same time that Ellie got to me I passed out. The doctors said I was lucky to be alive… I'm not sure I can believe that, Walker… Sarah and Chuck were not so lucky, they were captured as planned but the fulcrum agent took them to an abandon warehouse he had set up it was shielded so we couldn't track them either with the watch or the nano-tracking devices I had 'slipped' to Chuck in his coffee. I don't know the whole story, agent Walker played along seeing no other way out yet bidding her time. She must have found it but she didn't know that fulcrum agent had wired the building to a dead man trigger. I found out later that the building was destroyed and the Sarah had gave up her own life to save Chuck… he was badly hurt but still alive.

I can't believe it all only happened a week ago, I'm still in the hospital well a secret location because now thanks to that damn reporter's story I'm to high profile to be out in public. Chuck is at another location also recovering. He didn't take the attempt on his sister's life very well. General Beckman told me he has retreated in a shell, physically he's well enough to be awake and semi mobile but the doctor's think he couldn't handle Sarah dying and his sister almost dying.


	2. Caseys POV part 2

One month after 'it'

I have recovered enough to be released but still to high profile. The reporter who printed the story has made several follow up stories. He's still trying to track all of us down… well me and Chuck he found out that Agent Walker was killed and I'm told it didn't even faze him. I saw red when General Beckman told me that. She also informed me that Chuck is up and around now… it took getting Bryce in there to force Chuck to snap out of it. Even having been comatose for two weeks after having survived an exploding building Chuck had a hell of a right upper cut. I'm told Bryce damn near lost two teeth and almost bit his tongue off. Chuck growled actually growled for Bryce to get out, Bryce hasn't been near him since. Chuck made steady progress back on his feet. He has requested to be an active agent in the CIA or at least an analyst he is determined to take down fulcrum, I informed General Beckman and Director Graham that it would be better for all of us if we work with him. I watched the video of him he's not going to take no for an answer he will go on his own to do it if he has to. General Beckman wanted to wait for me to go see Chuck they were not sure how he would react, would he be overjoyed to see me, or would he attack me because I failed to protect them. Besides I had one final mission to complete in L.A. one that I would be more then happy to complete. One of the fulcrum agents that worked at the paper had been killed by me at Ellie's apartment but the other one was still at the paper trying to see if Chuck was dead and make sure the reporter didn't start to question this 'golden story' that had fallen in to his lap. I was assigned to remove the agent in a way that would look like an accident, to the regular world but that fulcrum would know that they can't pull this crap and get away with it. I followed the agent for two weeks, I couldn't believe the agent was following the same routine every day, one of the first things they teach you is to change your routine and stay observant at all times. He lives out in the country which is both good and bad for him, good that it's less crowded then in town so you can notice unusual people easier bad in that he routinely drives down a deserted country road perfect place to be ambushed. So I by the end of the third week I had a plan, I was going to snipe him then make the car and body disappear, it is what I'm good at. It was a Thursday night actually it was exactly one month after the attacks, I was set up on a small ridge 100 yards from the road, it was dusk, and the agent was driving home from his cover job at the paper. I spotted his car driving the speed limit down the road. I touch the cold dark place inside me that allows me to kill… to take another human life. I don't enjoy it but I have never had a problem doing what needs to be done… A part of me is glad, revenge is petty, but justice I can live with the fact that I'm getting Justice for Walker, Chuck and his family. The plan when off with out a hitch. My shot was perfect, I didn't see another person the entire time I was completing my job. I reported the job complete to General Beckman and Director Graham. I was ordered to go home, to recover, two months mandatory down time when completing a mission of that nature.

Three months after 'it'

I spent the first month doing odd jobs around my house, it's actually my parent's house but they passed a way about five years ago and left it to me. I use it to regroup, get my bearings, normally after about two weeks I'm getting impatient I don't take inactivity very well. I need to be doing something; but this time I need the extra time to get my head back in the game. I know once I'm off downtime I have to go face Chuck, at best I'll have to help him grieve for Sarah and all that he's lost, at worst he will attack me and like Bryce I'll have to stay way. I know I need to grieve for Sarah and for Chuck… I failed to protect them; I made a promise to myself that I would protect them not from physical harm but from the things that kept them apart. I know that Sarah and Chuck loved each other; I could see it in their eyes. At first I ignored it; the agent in me that know it could only end badly. But when Sarah asked me if I ever dreamed of a life outside all of this cloak and dagger crap, my first response was knee jerk about duty and commitment to something greater then myself but the truth is I do dream about it. Then when Ilsa came back in to his life and both Walker and Chuck helped us, this cold hearted agent melted just a little bit more. It was hard sometime to listen in on the times that Chuck, Sarah, Ellie, Devin and even Morgan would sit around and play games or watch a movie. I know that Sarah found it hard sometimes, and Chuck… poor Chuck he was so torn between wanting to include Sarah and even myself in their little strange family and knowing that; a, we couldn't join for real and b, both of us came from the stereotypical broken home. I never had a sibling to depend on. Sarah, she was an orphan, in fact I found out that in her will she requested that if both she and Chuck were killed that she would like to be buried next to him. Ellie quickly realized that there was more going on and it was decided to let her in. After all as far as anyone knew both Chuck and Sarah are dead. Both General Beckman and Director Graham traveled to L.A. and told both Ellie and Devin about the Intersect, Sarah and even myself, director Graham told them a little about Sarah they all knew she genuinely had fallen in love with Chuck and if the fates had not been so cruel I truly believe that Sarah would have quit the CIA and married Chuck. Ellie granted the request and Chuck Bartowski and Sarah Walker are buried side by side at a grave site in the outskirts of Encino.

At the beginning of the second month I received a surprise visitor, Ilsa, it seems she had suddenly gotten some down time and a very cryptic message that her 'sugar bear' was hurt and recovering at home alone. She was told the address and asked to check in on me… damn you Chuck I know it was him, I'm not mad, I knew I needed someone I'm just to bullheaded to ask for help… it also means that he doesn't hate me, which is good, cause I don't want him to hate me. I have enough guilt to deal with right now. She helped me to grieve for Sarah, and Chuck, and the loss of innocence that it represents. When she left about a week before my down time was up I had made peace real peace with myself and could now do whatever I need to do to help Chuck. General Beckman kept me informed of Chuck's 'progress' which wasn't really progress all he does is study all the Intel that all the government agencies have on fulcrum and train he is determined to never get caught unprepared again. He works himself ragged and when he does sleep he suffers from nightmares unless he takes sleeping pills but he can't take too many or he'll get addicted to them, also we think he's punishing himself, he blames himself for Sarah's death… and the attempt on Ellie's life. He has made great strides in taking down fulcrum, he can make sense of the information in a way that not even a computer can match, and Bryce, who still doesn't like to be in the same room alone with him, works with Chuck to plan ops that have done a lot of damage to fulcrum if the chatter is to be believed.

Chuck and I have switched personalities well almost… He's cold hard and distant and I'm finally at peace with myself, for the first time in a long time… it would be almost funny if it wasn't so sad.


	3. Caseys POV part 3

Six months after 'it'

When I arrived at Moab, Utah the location they are keeping Chuck it was a small unassuming location that didn't scream NSA hideout which is a good thing. I spotted the little things right away, the very well concealed hidey holes in which the solders on base can use to watch and not be watched. The fence that looks old and worn down but is state of the art. The guard shack is armored and very well designed. The one building that's above ground looks older and worn down but I can see the reinforced walls and the windows are bullet proof. I saw the scanner imbedded in the doorway the guard at the desk looks relaxed and almost asleep but I can see the way he keeps me in his line of sight at all times and he is very fit for a 9 dollar an hour rent a cop. My guess would be Army or Marine Special Forces, probably not a SEAL they don't like to be this far away from water.

I met General Beckman at the elevator and we rode down together she apprised me of the latest. Chuck is getting worse, he barely sleeps or eats, has made several very passionate requests to allowed to train with firearms, something they are reluctant to do at this point. The General and Director are afraid he's going to suffer from a breakdown or pull a Lazslo as it's been called and try something bad like blow up the Santa Monica pier. We reached the 10th level and I saw it's just a hallway with 5 doors. The General told me that this is Chuck's floor he stays here for security purposes one room is a rarely used bedroom. Another room has a table secure desktop with access to every bit of data the CIA and NSA can access. A bathroom, workout room, and storage make up the rest of the rooms. The General directs me to the second door on the end stating '_he's in there studying we were able to get access to the FBI's database_.' And the turned around and got back in the elevator.

I walked to the room and opened the door, it was painfully tidy except for the desk which was covered in papers and a desktop computer with 2 monitors I saw Chuck staring intently at them studying the information on the screen… hmm so much for situational awareness… I thought to myself as he showed no sign of having heard the door open or me walk in to the room, because I was very quiet. I however was wrong he had heard me, because when I stepped in to the room he tensed and then turned around faster then I'd ever seen him move. I watched him closely as he recognized me… surprise, joy, sadness, all showed on his face, finally settling on acceptance. He walked slowly over to me, he seemed scared I would disappear which I'm not to surprised he looks like hell, the bags under his eyes look like they hold a enough luggage to go away for life. His skin is pale and pasty white, his eyes are so blood shot that it's hard to see what color his eyes are anymore. I couldn't help myself I blurted out '_Dimmit chuck what the hell happened to you_.' He just looked shocked at first then started to laugh hysterically I thought oh crap I drove him over the deep end… then he the laughter turned to crying and he launched himself at me… I wasn't prepared for it and he knocked me back in to the door… he wasn't attacking me he was clinging to me as his lifeline, which I was. I held him and slid down the door so that we were sitting, he just held on tighter I could hear him muttering but with his head turned in to my shirt which was getting wetter by the second, I couldn't make out the words. When he turned his head I heard parts of it… "_I thought I'd never see you again… She told me she loved me right before she died… in my arms_" It was so heartbreaking I wanted to cry myself but I knew I had to be strong for him.

The first night I didn't sleep I just sat next to his bed and watched him sleep I was not prepared for the level of suffering his nightmares are giving him. It seemed like he had just fallen to sleep when the nightmares begin, I found that after a few times of waking him up that if he heard me speak and felt my hand on his shoulder he calms down… the second day I didn't let him go in to the office I knew if he did then he will block all the pain and depression away, and that's not good, he needs to get it off his chest or it will eat him alive. The only problem is I don't know how to get him started down that road… I break thing I don't fix them, but for Chuck's sake I need to at least try.

The second night was not as bad, I was able to get some sleep here and there, as I sat in the chair next his bed. The next morning he suggested I get a cot or something if I was going to stay in the room, he said it as a off-handed comment but I could read the fear in his eyes he wants me to stay but knows I don't handle closeness very well… or at least I didn't but my time with Ilsa helped more then he figured I let him go study for a few hours and by the time lunch time rolled around I had a small bed put in the room. For the first month it stayed like that. I discovered something else about Chuck during that first week… he can move damn quiet when he wants to, because he would get up out of bed at least once a night to check on me. When things get really bad he would lightly touche me on the arm to let himself know I'm here and real.

It was the end of the second week when Bryce showed up. He looked like hell as well… almost as bad as Chuck, I decided that they both needed to bury the hatchet so to speak and to keep the peace I would play chaperone so I had one of the Guards go to a local liquor store and bring back some beer and hard alcohol. I then got them drunk, while we talked about Sarah and how she hadchanged all of our lives. Bryce and Chuck cried and apologized to each other. Thank god it worked; I would have never guessed that they could but away so much alcohol… I forgot they were in a fraternity at college. Those were the good old days… drinking games, hangovers from hell… but it worked they can actually be in the same room and work together without Chuck looking at Bryce like 2 week old garbage. Its slow going they didn't kiss and make up (so to speak) overnight, but it was a start.

I took over Chuck's training, we started out with basic hand to hand combat he is a quick learner with in a month he had convinced Bryce to teach him some of the martial arts the he and Sarah had been trained in. I also started Chucks basic marksmanship training we started small, handguns and moved up to rifles then to automatic weapons… like any other guy he's been begging to get some time on the larger weapons, the50 cal and the Mark 19 grenade launcher has caught his eye. He's a hell of a shot, I guess that something to be said for all the video games he's played.

Last month I found out that Ellie and Devon are going to tie the knot on their version of mother's day. I guess it's a way for Ellie to continue to remember her brother. Bryce, and I fought hard to give Ellie the best wedding present, she and Devon are going to get to see Chuck… They are taking a private jet to their honeymoon thanks to Devon's parents and a little help from the CIA and NSA. Chuck's going to get to fly down with them. He can't stay but at least Ellie will get to see her brother and they can have the reunion that I know Chuck has wanted but knows not to ask for. I went to the wedding, the wedding photographer was CIA the catering staff had a few NSA agents we weren't taking any chances, fulcrum has been badly hurt lately and they could get desperate, speaking of desperate… That damn reporter was there he was trying to get information for another follow up piece, the public outcry that the CIA and NSA was careful to orchestrate against the reporter has made the man none to popular so he's trying to gain back some respect and support. I have heard he's about to be fired from the paper for the stunts he's pulled… when Ellie saw him she unleashed hell on the guy… Devon actually punched the guy, it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. After the reception I was waiting in the limo for them. I would have driven but then I couldn't talk to them and prepare them for seeing Chuck.

"John is that you, how are you doing?" Ellie asked before the limo had even started moving

"Ellie, Devon congratulations you both look good. I'm here to give you guy's my wedding gift or rather prepare you for it… or should I say him." I said

"What do you mean?" Ellie asked I could see the hope in her and Devon's eyes and I'm forever glad I don't have to crush it.

"I'm not good at beating around the bush so I'll just come right out and say it… Chuck's alive and safe, I'm sorry we had to keep him away for so long but his life is in danger, and if you both had known it would have but your lives in danger as well. I know Chuck would never have survived if anything happened to you. He's going to be at the hanger when we get there but I have to warn you, he's not the same person you remember." I paused to take a breath and give them a minute to process the information.

"What do you mean not the same, is he okay?" Ellie asked after just a few minutes fear happiness and sadness are all present in her eyes.

"I mean, physically he's fine and mentally he is... okay, but he loved Sarah and she really did die in his arms. He was comatose for about 2 weeks after that, when he snapped out of it he spent all of his time training to be an agent and studying the information on the group that did this, he spent almost 2 months barely eating and sleeping… he's much better now, but he's not the same little brother you remember." I clarified for them.

We sat in silence for most of the rest of the trip there. I could see Ellie's excitement grow as we got to the hanger then I almost had to restrain her at first I told her we needed to wait for the hanger doors to close so nobody could see us.

I not sure which clang I heard the hanger doors or the car door they both happened at the same time Ellie was out and running faster then I've ever seen anyone move, I actually cried when I watched Chuck jump down the airplane stairs and run to his sister. Ellie Devon and Chuck meet halfway and just latched on to each other. All of them were crying, laughing and whispering I love you, I missed you' to each other I heard Devon say Awesome and it just made them all laugh… I stayed back… it was family time and I didn't want to interrupt. Chuck just looked at me and with tears and the biggest smile I've ever seen, mouthed 'thank you' to me. I just smiled and with tears in my eyes mouthed back 'you're welcome'.

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(End of Casey's POV)


	4. Chucks POV part 1

(Chuck)

One month after 'it'

I woke up to the worst hangover I've ever had… having been in a fraternity in college I've had my share of hangovers, we weren't exactly party animals but I did my fair share of drinking games. Then it all came back to me in a rush and I wanted to die… Sarah and I at a club just having fun, no mission or bad guys to try and kill us… or so I thought, we were leaving the club when Sarah suddenly tensed up next to me and I saw this guy standing at the end of the alley looking at us. As he waved us over I flashed on him 'Agent Scott Jordan suspected of being a fulcrum double agent. As well as several gruesome pictures of people he's suspected of killing' I turned to Sarah to tell her but the look on her face stopped me… it was anger and an under layer of fear. I felt her nudge me behind her, and subtly reach for her weapon in the small of her back. When he calmly place his hand on his weapon in a quick draw holster the threat was clear 'one false more and we were going to have extra holes in us' she slowly pulled her hand back out from behind her back with have her weapon in hand, and laid it on the ground. She half turned to me as we walked slowly towards him and said '_we will play along until we can make an escape, if I give you an order I want you to follow it no questions ask okay_.' It wasn't a question it was an order so I treated it as such, not trusting myself to talk I just nodded. She gave me her little half smile then turned her attention back to the other agent. He didn't say a word just pointed to a van with the side door open about 5 feet from us. We got in and found the widows were painted black and the cab was blocked off so we couldn't see where we were going and couldn't attack the driver. We drove what seemed like an hour I tried to remember every turn but after about 40 or so I lost count. It must of have been about 20 turns later when the look on Sarah's face told me that she had lost count to. Finally he stopped and turned off the motor I could tell he had gone in to a building from the sound change right before that. He used an automatic door opener and stood back about 10 feet his weapon out he motioned for us to go in the room he was standing by. I tried to talk to him… I got even more nervous with all the silence. The agent cocked his weapon and I shut up mid-word. We walked wordlessly in to the room, when he shut the door he finally spoke. 

"There now that you are both shielded from any tracking or listening devices we can have a little chat." Agent Jordan said sitting down in a chair across the room from us, I can only guess it was so we couldn't rush him. 

"Agent Jordan what do you want?" Sarah asked always straight to the point. 

"Oh 'Sarah' always straight to the point, what no time to idle chit chat?" He answered with what I could only describe as a bone chilling smile… and another thing, what is it with agents and sarcasm… Casey is always quick with the sarcasm… oh my god I forgot about Casey,Devon, and Ellie I can only hope they are all okay.

"Okay fine, Hi Scott how's things… now why did you kidnap us?" That's my Sarah always ready to unleash the sarcasm herself when she needs to.

"Oh just fine, since you stabbed me in the heart and ran off with that bastard Bryce, where is he by the way?" I didn't think it was possible his smile got even more chilling bordering on maniacal. I inviolately shivered not from the cold in the room but the cold this guy was giving off.

"Are you still on that, it happened over 5 years ago… and Bryce is dead don't you read the paper." I wanted to tell her that baiting the psycho might not be the best way to get out of this in one piece but she's the expert and there's something to be said for keeping a person off balance. 

"Now, now we know better, my fellow agents had him in custody until you and your boy the Intersect here had to go and ruin that as well… We have had a reporter following you for the last couple of weeks, and now tomorrow the whole world is going to know about how the CIA and NSA were using a civilian to help there cover… sadly for both of you and Major Casey it will be followed up with your obituary, well, fulcrum did want the two of you alive, but I've decided it's better if that doesn't happen." His response just confirmed that he's with fulcrum, and our chances of getting out of here out of here alive and in one piece have gone down drastically I could tell that Sarah had known the same thing she tensed up even more then she was I wouldn't have noticed but she was keeping me close.

"What are you talking about, what's the Intersect, I'm here for a vacation not a mission." Sarah said, not sure if trying to play dumb here would work best but I can't comment I was still stuck on the fact that they now knew I was the Intersect and we were totally screwed.

"Now, now Sarah please don't try my patience I can make it a fast 'mostly' painless death or I can make it slow and very painful just ask the walking database here, some of my more creative 'jobs' are on file." Jordan said looking at me or rather my head, the images of some of those 'jobs' flashed though my head and I shivered again. I felt Sarah grab my hand, an action that did not go unnoticed by our captor. "Tsk, tsk Sarah didn't they tell you not to get attached to the asset… of course that was always one aspect of the training you never did get."

"Well at least I have a heart to get attached unlike you, you sick sadistic bastard." I have never in the time I've known Sarah heard her as pissed off as I did just now. I half expected her eyes to turn red. 

"Well this little chat's been fun but now you must die, I'm sorry I can't be as creative as I usually am but not every piece can be a masterpiece" Jordan said and he looked genuinely sad which made me want to puke. I'm guessing Fulcrum's mental heath plan isn't what it used to be because this guy beyond psycho. 

Now one of the many things that I love about Sarah is that we had a long talk about what to expect if a situation like this ever came up, granted we won't expecting the guy to be this far gone. So when she used her hand to give me the signal to distract him… (we came up with this plan after the nice little rooftop run around with the 'pita girl' last month we spent most of the time discussing what I would do to distract them… my thinking is they need me alive so they can't afford to kill me, and given my widely known low threshold for pain most won't risk damaging me, not much of an ego boost but live to fight or run another day) I just stood up and started walking to the door saying _well Scotty boy it's been fun, say hi to all the guys down at the loony bin when you get there._ Sarah used one of her throwing knifes to take him out. The problem is he didn't need me alive so he had pulled his weapon before Sarah had thrown the knife then she threw herself in front of me and took the bullet or at least that's what I'm guessing happened, stupid me I had my back turned to the guy I never did learn. I just remember the gun shot and then hearing that sickening thud when I turning around, Sarah in front of me with a bullet wound in her stomach, then I heard laughter I looked up and saw the agent with the knife sticking out of his shoulder the throw had been off balance, but he had dropped his weapon, and was reaching for it… 

That's when it blurred and I just heard a roaring in my ears I leaped over Sarah and tackled the guy started pummeling him until I saw him reach for the knife still stuck in his shoulder I grabbed it and twisted I actually enjoyed hearing the guy scream. This psycho had just killed the woman I love more then my own life and I was going to make him pay. I don't know how. but I saw him reach for his weapon I wrestled him for control of it, when it went off, I never felt the bullet hit me because by then I had so much adrenalin and rage the logical part of my brain just shut down. I got the weapon away from the guy and was all set to pull the trigger when I looked into his eyes, they were cold and dead, and I knew then that if I had killed this guy in cold blood I'd be no better then him. I walked away intending to take Sarah's… body outside and wait for the tracking devices to do their job… I got to Sarah's body and bent down to scoop her up when I felt the pain start in my stomach and moved up, I looked down and realized I had been shot, a small part of me was glad I'd been shot… this is all my fault and also maybe if I die to then�Sarah and I can be together… That's when I heard the guy laughing again, I had broken his nose, at least one arm and this crazy psycho was still laughing, I looked up at him and saw he had grabbed Sarah's weapon sitting on the table he must have picked it up when we were in the van. I didn't even think, I just raised the weapon I didn't even realize I still had in my hand and emptied the clip in to the guy at least that's what I think happened it all happened faster then I could think… I just heard a clicking sound of the empty weapon as my finger kept pulling the trigger and I saw the guy's body on the ground I walked back over to the guy and saw his eyes now cold and dead because I had just killed him… I turned my head and puked. It was then I saw the heart monitor looking device when I flashed on it I found out it was a dead man trigger, the monitor was set to the dead man and now that his heart had stopped the timer had begun… I staggered back to Sarah I screamed as the pain intensified but I wasn't going to leave her body here to be destroyed. I cradled her body to me as I staggered out of the room I didn't even stop one foot in front of the other, that was my mantra, I didn't know how much time I had left to get away from the building, or how much of the building was wired to explode. I got out of building and got several yards away when my legs gave out… the jolt from the fall must have brought Sarah back because I heard her call for me… She was alive, I never forget those next few moments mostly because so many of my nightmares have started out that way…

"Chuck… Chuck look at me."

Sarah oh my god Sarah you're alive… don't try to talk I'm going to get you help… stay with me… SARAH." I screamed the last part as she closed her eyes

"Chuck, there isn't time, I wanted you to know… I'm glad we met; you helped me to realize that there was more to life then the CIA… I want you to do me a favor okay, Chuck" 

"Sure Sarah whatever you want, just please hang on, don't die I need you… whatever you want me to do" I could feel the tears streaming down my face

"I want you to go on living and don't throw your life away, don't feel guilty, this is not your fault okay please. Do this one thing for me…"

Okay I'll do it but I want you to live to… I need you, you're my soul mate, Sarah I love you please don't leave me." 

She just smiled at me and said the best and worst thing I ever wanted to hear from her "It will be okay, Chuck… I'm going to let you in on a secret I've loved you since 'I can be your personal baggage handler'… goodbye Chuck, don't forget your promise to me… live for both of us…" Then she passed away.

Heedless of my wounds and the build behind me about to blow up I screamed at her "no don't you dare leave me… you can't do that to me…" I alternated between begging her and yelling at her to come back when I heard the explosion and felt the heat on my back… then nothing


End file.
